Vine Tower
by SodaBlueSplashdown
Summary: They didn't know what happened... But Goggles was determined... But was the sacrifice really worth it... [a play on canon divergence with coroika characters born with elemental powers. Completed]
1. Chapter 1

All was quiet in the Square. The pavement was torn asunder from the coiling vines harboring thick thorns that writhed a slow course through the broken ground. Inklings have long abandoned the area for fear of their own lives. All but one. Goggles stood at the entrance to Deca Tower, the automatic doors forced opened by the vines as the source laid inside. He didn't know what had come to this but he felt he would be the only one to solve the crisis that has befallen the Square now. The source behind it after all was someone very close to him. If he couldn't fix it...

_Who would?_

Stepping inside and around the vines where gaps were visible, he found the source at the far wall. Rider was there, suspended by his own vines emerging from his back while his eyes were a pupiless pit of yellow-green staring out to nothing. He was out of control of his power and no one knew the reason why. Very few have tried to confront him but unlike Goggles, they didn't consider that his vines are a part of him and stepping on them would alert him to their presence and the result was horrifying to say the least as venus fly traps laid near the walls, flaps closed with long subdued prey. Moving closer ever so slowly did Goggles finally reach Rider and he frowned. He couldn't bear to see him like this. He had to wake him up. And there was only one way he knew that had always soothed Rider before. "Rider-kun...please...wake up..." Goggles whispered as he slowly wrapped his arms around the limp body.

Silence reigned...before the sickening wet sound of something piercing flesh was heard.

Between the bodies one wouldn't see that anything changed until Goggles had pulled away and with it was a vine. Black as night and covered in the same thorns that covered all the rest, it made home deep in Goggles' abdomen, blue ink leaking around the puncture wound. But Goggles wasn't in shock and his face showed no pain. As more ink bubbled up his throat and came out in a hoarse cough, he could only smile. "Rider-kun…" he whispered, color slowly draining from his body as the very source continue to pool at his feet until the vine itself was the only thing holding him up. Head bowed and blue eyes closed, the bright and happy teammate of the Blue Team had fallen but he left the world with a smile still on his face. A smile that Rider now held personal to himself, the vine amongst others shifting to bring Goggles up higher before a tanned hand touched a cold cheek.

"They said you couldn't love me...but they lied to me...and now...you're here with me...forever..."

0

The streets were freed of vines and slowly, inklings began to come back. But even with the initial shock of the chaos that came before was nothing on the sight of Deca Tower now a mass of coiling vines, the doorway once open wide now closed forever as the entrance was covered with an impenetrable mass of thorns, rock solid and nothing able to break through to the source inside.

Still blankly staring.

Still out of control.

But cradling the body of a blue inkling who smiled even in death.

0

a test of a story that i posted to Ao3. coroika guys harboring elemental powers that i chatted with a few manga fans about and decided to take a whirl on it. if this gets traction here like it did over there, i will post the rest and if more interest holds, i'll begin posting a fuller version of this concept that was done as a canon divergent story.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a few weeks since the unannounced shutdown of Deca Tower. Pearl and Marina did their best with reports of their findings but with no way inside as the spawn point that used to take them to stages long busted and decommissioned from the flora inside, they could never find out why the sentient vines and thorns continued to seal the entrance, forever in the dark of the inner workings of the newly dubbed "Vine Tower".

But as for what lies inside now...

0

Luminescent bulbs lit up the once dark tower, vines making up every inch of the lobby but there were some changes over the weeks since Goggles' death. The body that one would've thought to be a dried up husk and decayed beyond recognition instead sat within the clear confines of a pitcher plant, nectar water rich in nutrients keeping the body sustained. The old clothes had been removed and a leaf was plastered neatly over the wound that pierced his stomach, holding a natural healing salve to patch the wound at least until Goggles' own natural ability kicked in. He was a water element and never can truly die unless before death their element was locked completely from regeneration as the fatal blow was struck. Rider knew well of this fact and such wasn't truly worried when Goggles had died in his arms. He just had to be patient. The trap had been set when Goggles heard of his rampage.

The kindly boy couldn't bear to see a friend like this, his heart wouldn't let him ignore such an obvious trick. Rider couldn't be sure if the boy prior to confrontation was warned of just what led him to such a disastrous deconstruction of the once serious but still rather caring captain of the Yellow-Green Team but still, all fell into place and they had the means to live a happy life in the tower with no outside contact to interfere. Being a wood element gave him many benefits from producing fruits and vegetables to collecting and filtering rainwater into the very pitcher that housed Goggles in inanimate suspension. Honey from blossoms to sweeten their meals and cushioned moss and toadstools for sleeping was enough and Rider couldn't be happier of the lengths made to make their new nest a home. Urging the vines that kept him suspended, Rider moved slow to the pitcher holding Goggles and smiled, a wickedly sweet smile on his face as he touched the membranous surface of the pitcher plant.

"Soon Goggles...you will be breathing again and back in my arms proper...no one will have a say of who you are to choose cause I will choose for you...you are my partner for life..."

0

Two more weeks passed in steady silence before movement inside the pitcher plant brought life into the enclosed room. The bulbs began to illuminate brighter as the pitcher began to lower closer to the ground, top opening as the volume of nectar water began to decrease. As Goggles' head breached the surface, he coughed weakly as his lungs tried to work and reclaim air once more after so long of being still. Hazy blues slowly opened before looking around. "Where...am I..." he whispered hoarsely as vines lowered into the pitcher plant to lift him out with care, a sunflower blooming large enough for him to settle comfortably since standing would be impossible now after waking. Rider lowered himself from the depths of the ceiling, a dark, ominous void of nothing to show its end, and hung before Goggles. "You're in our home. I made it myself with all the necessary needs to keep us in good living condition for days." Rider replied, moving closer. Of course, doing so only brought fear into the other's eyes. Goggles couldn't remember a thing. Everything was so dark for so long that the passage of time before his death to now had been wiped clean. He couldn't remember Rider or the fact he was an element like Goggles was, the only thing that stuck to mind otherwise he wouldn't be able to wrap his mind of why his body was slowly wakening after such a long period of slumber.

Rider saw this and frowned. While it wasn't a common side effect, those not fully attuned to their element when regenerating for the few that could, predominantly fire, water and earth based elements, memories could be lost in the process. This may set him back a few steps but at the same time, a slate cleaned meant a purpose to rewrite history. "Do you remember who you are…" Rider asked calmly, landing on his feet to lessen to fear factor of pupiless eyes and green veins etched over tanned skin hanging in front of one that just woken up. "I'm...Goggles..." Goggles whispered softly. "Good...and do you remember who I am?" Rider asked again. "N-no...should...should I...?" Rider smiled as he climbed into the sunflower, pulling off his rider jacket that still held up despite the filtered vines that had constant emergence months ago. "I'm Rider..." he started as he draped the jacket over Goggles' bare shoulders.

"And I'm your mate...forever..."


	3. Chapter 3

"What are we going to do...?"

"What can we do...Goggles has been in there for weeks and we don't even know if he's hurt or worse."

These were the words of the Blue Team as they sat at a table in a modest cafe of The Reef. With the Square still in shambles and trying to rebuild around the damage caused by the vines, The Reef became a new hangout spot where the vines hadn't reached prior. Glasses sighed as he squeezed his hands in worry. Ever since Goggles had told them he was going to save Rider, they held a bit of skepticism of the whole thing. Rider would never lose control like this, he'd get mad sure but to cause damage as he had on such a wide scale...seemed unfathomable. Rider was quick to anger but never once would he allow himself to go this far. Something seemed up but with the state of the tower and no one able to get in, they were out of options. The cafe door opened, the bell above ringing softly and Headphones lifted her head to see Army standing there.

"Army?"

"Still at a lost about Goggles?" No one answered and Army hummed as he walked to them. "I think we have an answer to your dilemma...but we need your cooperation as this will be a dangerous operation." Army spoke. Glasses, Bobble and Headphones looked at each other. If Army's help grants finding out Goggles' fate...they would take it. Glasses stood, adjusting his specs before nodding.

"We're in. What do you have in mind?"

"A fortress can be called impenetrable...but there is a weak spot hiding in the last spot one would think. We're going to expose it."

"We?"

The door opened again on cue as three others walked in, Glasses glancing behind Army to see Skull, Mask and Aloha there. Aloha grinned and winked to them, adjusting the brim of his visor.

"Rider has no chance when faced with three elements that can tear through his plants~ We got your back and we'll find out what happened to Goggles soon enough~"

0

Goggles was sleeping peacefully on a bed of moss, small flowers decorating the edges of his small nest while a fluffy bud of cotton was his pillow. Over him still was Rider's jacket that provided a small comfort as a blanket. He shifted a bit before moving to sit up, yawning softly. Stretching his arms, he began to look around, seeing no sign of Rider anywhere. "Rider?" He called into the empty space as he climbed out from the nest. When his feet met the floor, the room came alive to his presence. Bulbs opened to shine soft light, illuminating the space while branches of all sort lowered down to him, bearing fruit for his picking pleasure and Goggles smiled, taking a few apples to eat. "Thank you. May I see Rider, please." Goggles asked the plants and they obliged. A few vines came down, coiling together to make a step for Goggles to climb on and he did so, holding the length of vine with his free hand before he was brought upward and into the darkened void of a ceiling. His vision went dark as he hung close to the vine bringing him upward before slowly, his surroundings began to brighten with the source of glowing mushrooms providing light further up before Goggles reached the landing. There, he spotted a single patch of sunlight and in that light sat Rider basking in the warmth to energize himself and his element. Goggles stepped off the vines before moving slowly to where Rider was.

"Rider?"

Rider's eyes opened and gazed to him, smiling softly. "Goggles-kun...come...sit with me." Rider spoke and Goggles nodded as he moved to sit beside him. "How are you feeling? Everything alright?" Goggles nodded with a smile. "I'm still a little weak but I'm recovering nicely. All the plants have been of great help in getting me around when I couldn't walk for a while." Rider smiled and nodded while Goggles took a bite of his apple. "They will always be around to help you as they are connected to my will and my will to help you in any way I can flows through them as well…" Rider stated. Goggles nodded again and smiled, giggling a little when Rider planted a kiss on his head before the two rested in comfort in the sunlight. After basking in the light for an hour or so, Rider urged Goggles to stand and both headed back down into the main area of their home.

"You know what the plants would love to have?"

"No...what?"

"Water."

When both landed on the main floor, Rider turned back to Goggles. "I will help you improve control on your element again. You probably don't remember a thing." Goggles puffed his cheeks before looking down. "You're right...I don't remember anything...but...you do, don't you? How was I like when it came to my element?" Goggles asked. Rider tapped his chin as he stepped forward a bit. "Your element was always tied to your emotions...just by seeing how the water formed around you, we could tell whether you were happy or sad. It...was always a delight to see you at your happiest..." Rider explained calmly before turning back to him. "But you were also prone to flooding when you get too excited." Goggles squeaked in embarrassment and Rider smiled. "But we'll fix that...together." he said, producing a seed and set it in the palm of Goggles' cupped hands before holding the underside of them. "Now...concentrate and pool your water into your hands. Make the seed sprout and we'll be off to a good start..." Goggles nodded as he worked in concentrating his element to focus to one point supported by Rider's guidance.

0

It was a couple days later before the group made their way to the Square. Vine Tower was imposing as ever for something that seems so innocent. But knowing well what lied inside and at the heart of all that happened...made it that much scarier. "Are...you guys ready?" Glasses asked as he looked back to the S4 that stood with them. "Ready as we'll ever be. We'll keep Rider occupied as long as we can. The moment you find an opening, take it. We don't know how long it will take before he learns you're inside but we rather keep that instance to an all-time low." Army said, adjusting his gloves as he stepped forward. At their behest and gaining a meeting with Pearl and Marina so they could make the announcement, the Square was emptied out for the upcoming brawl to happen. Army let out a breath before looking to the other three.

"Stick to the plan."

They nodded before Army started off the initial attack. Tracing the kanji for "fire" with the use of his own flames, he shot the large burning character at the doorway and the vines didn't take long to react violently, some smoldering to the fire but more came to cover the doorway to cover for the ones burnt. "Go, go, go!" Army called.

0

_"AAAAGHHHH!"_

The agonized hiss woke Goggles from a deep slumber as he looked to Rider on his side of the nest. "Rider! Rider, what's wrong?!" Goggles asked worriedly. "They're here...they're here to take you from me…" Rider snarled angrily as he went to sit up. "Who? Who is?" Goggles asked again, growing afraid as the room began to shift, vines growing thorns as flowers receded into the living walls only to make room for the more carnivorous plants to step forward. "Your friends...they don't know you're alive...but they're trying to come in anyway..." Rider sneered as vines slithered from his back, suspending him as they did once before. "My friends...I didn't know I had friends...but why are they attacking...?"

"They want to take you from me! I won't allow it! You're mine! _MINE!_" Rider screeched as the vines responded to his anger. Goggles gasped in horror before finding himself caught in the bulb of a Japanese lantern plant. "Rider! Rider!" Goggles called but his cries fell on deaf ears as the other shot up into the darkness of the ceiling above, the only means to reach the outside that only he could access.

_"RIDEEEERRRR!"_

0

"Here he comes!" Army called as thorny vines began to shoot out for them and the S4 began to move. Mask froze what he could while the other three used their element to their advantage, Skull becoming a poison mist form for the vines to stab through nothing and Aloha bouncing back and forth in an accurate representation of the raijin step. Army continued to throw fire at the door before looking up as Rider came from the top of the tower, fly traps with drooling flaps following him.

Burning yellow-green glanced down to the S4 in heated anger.

"Goggles will stay with me...forever..._AND YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM FROM ME!_" he roared before the traps sailed down for them.

"We'll wake you up, Rider...even if it means burning you down to nothing..." Army spoke as the S4 regrouped and ready to tackle the fly traps that would become their first obstacle to reaching Rider up above.


	4. Chapter 4

Army winced as he hit the ground hard, looking up in time to see a fly trap aimed for him. "Aghhh!" He cursed before the plant fell lifeless, collapsing and shattering into many icy pieces from Mask freezing it. "You should be more caaaaareful~" Mask mumbled, holding a hand out to him. Army took it despite the hiss of hot meeting cold and glanced back to Rider. "We need to slow him down. Mask, ice him good and we can get the others inside." Army spoke. "Alriiiiight~" Mask hummed as he looked to the crazed wood element. His rampage was on a higher scale than before, the fly traps becoming the biggest source of the problems the S4 was dealing with. When one fell, another took it place rather quick but it was rather good for them that they haven't felt a single touch of exhaustion for as long as the fight was going with using their elements so much. If they didn't get the Blue team inside asap, the consequences would be catastrophic. Glasses glanced out to the battlefield from a corner of the Vine Tower and winced when he saw a fly trap aim for Skull, flaps opened wide before consuming the sniper expert.

"Sku-!" Glasses tried to gasp but was held back. "Shhh! Look!" Headphones whispered as the fly trap stuttered in movement before collapsing into a withered husk, purple smog emerging before forming back into the purple captain who glared up to Rider before getting to work. "So how are we going to get inside? The entrance is still blocked and Army tried his fire already..." Headphones murmured. "I think I know but we have to motion to them to get it going..." Glasses whispered before waving for them to follow.

"He's mine! Mine, mine, **MINE!**" Rider roared from above as vines shifted, some pulling from the tower to launch at the S4. "Eek!" Bobble cried, falling into Glasses but luckily, the sound went unheard. Holding her up, Glasses looked back to the square to see Aloha was keeping Rider's attention and waved quickly, seeing Army turn his way. Pointing to the vines at the entrance, Glasses glanced to Army and he nodded. While Rider was looking away from him to focus on Mask as he began to freeze all his plants and him in return, Army inhaled and balled up his fist before exhaling a mighty blaze of fire towards the entrance. The vines crackled as they burned and once a spot was cleared as a chunk fell from the entrance, the remaining Blue team ran inside the dark tower before the entrance was quickly encompassed with vines once more, and they were plunged into darkness. "Glasses...I can't see..." Headphones murmured softly. "Hold on..." Glasses whispered, bringing his phone out from his pocket and used the flashlight option on it to illuminate the area. Almost like before when Goggles had gone in to find Rider, the walls were covered in sentient vines with thorns that pulsated like the vines were giving life to the whole of the tower.

"This place is like a jungle...do you think Goggles is really in here?"

"Rider wouldn't be going insane out there if he wasn't. I could be wrong but also a frightening thought if he kept Goggles' corpse around."

Headphones shivered at the thought as well as they continued to navigate through the area, luckily there were less vines on the floor so the chance of alerting Rider to their presence inside were rather slim. The group of three continued to look around before reaching the homely nest that was in ruin due to Rider leaving it out of anger and there, Glasses saw him. "Goggles!" he cried and the other looked up in horror. "W-who are you?! How did you get in here?!" Goggles spat out, moving further against the Japanese lantern bulb he was trapped in. He didn't like it while Rider was risking his life outside but knowing someone managed to slip past Rider without alerting him meant they must be dangerous. "Goggles...it's us...your team...your friends..." Headphones spoke as she walked closer. "Friends...Rider said you were coming to take me away..." Goggles whimpered. Glasses saw how Goggles was reacting and went to touch Headphones' arm. "Headphones...he must've died that day he came in here...he doesn't remember us because his element didn't process his memories properly upon rejuvenation." he whispered before moving ahead of her. "Goggles...you may not remember us...but being here with Rider isn't good...whatever he told you...can't be true..."

"No! You're lying! Rider wouldn't lie to me!"

"He would if it meant keeping you trapped here!" Bobble screamed, alarming both Glasses and Headphones that the normally quirky girl exploded as she had. "Goggles...you're our friend...and Rider is a friend too...but he grew too obsessed with you and your kindness. We don't know how and when that changed but his team grew concerned of it and told us. That's why back then...we told you to stay away from him." Bobble spoke softly. Goggles listened to her words before he winced, holding his head. Slowly but surely, memories began to flow back to his mind, remember his friends, his team, the battles they had and then that day...

_"Goggles...we have to talk..." Glasses told him when they met up in the plaza. "What's up?" Goggles asked. "It's about Rider. Bamboo came to us to tell you to watch out for him. He was last seen heading to the Square, but we don't know what he could be doing there." he explained. Goggles pursed his lips before turning his back to them. "Rider is still my friend...and I won't abandon him like this...I'm going to go check on him and make sure he's ok!" Goggles spoke before running off for the station. "Goggles, wait!" Headphones called but Goggles had already hopped into the waiting subway train already pulled in._

"That was the last we heard of you for about two months." Bobble spoke when they saw Goggles was regaining his memories again. "Rider...Rider killed me..." Goggles whimpered as he looked to his hand. An inhuman screech came from outside and the vines began to shrivel up, chunks of them falling from their hold on the walls. "He's down! We got to go before he brings the tower down on us!" Glasses called, reaching out to rip the paper-thin shield that lost its strength and grabbed Goggles out. The four ran for the entrance, seeing it wide open now, and upon getting outside, the saw the result of the fight. Rider was grounded, prickles of ice coming from his back where vines were snapped clean off from the cold snap he suffered, fire consuming him whole. Army saw them and waved them over but Goggles tugged back on the arm that held his.

"Rider!"

"C'mon, Goggles! He's done!"

Rider glanced up when he heard Goggles' voice and snarled, trying to reach out but it was a weak attempt. "Give...him back...give him back...please..." he simpered. Goggles could feel his tears well up along with his element and without warning, he formed the arm that Glasses held into water so he could escape his grip. "Goggles! No!" Headphones cried out as they gave chase. "I don't care! I have to help Rider!" Goggles cried out but the degree of fire that had overtaken him had finally done its deed before Goggles could form the water needed to douse it.

The thud of the body hitting the ground was like a lead weight dropping into Goggles' stomach.

Nothing seemed to matter. Not the calls of his name, the tugging on his body which slowly melted to nothing as each grasp to some part of him was met with liquid. The fuzzy, static sound was all Goggles could filter as he collapsed to his knees in front of the body. "N...no..."

_"NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Ashes blew away in the wind as the single, heartbroken scream echoed through the empty Square, the vines of the tower withering away and falling into heaps of compost at the base of it. The Blue Team and the S4 walked slowly to Goggles as he sobbed. "He did bad! I know he did! But he still went out of his way to take care of me! And now he's gone!" Goggles cried, water seeping over the streets and their feet. Army frowned as he went to reach out before his arm was tugged back, turning to Aloha as he shook his head. "We did what we have to do, Army. Any longer and he would've ended us all in that mindset." Aloha murmured, holding his side where pink stained his aloha shirt from the pierce wound from a vine that had gotten to him during a misstep when Skull was almost caught and crushed to death only moments before. Goggles crawled closer to the body despite his element flooding from his body and washing away more of the ashes before something stuck out from the pile.

It was a seed.

Seeing it made something come back to the memories that were made with Rider that still stuck around even as the old ones came back to mind.

Rider had walked to Goggles the next day, seeing the other hunched over something and it made him curious. "Goggles-kun?" he called and Goggles shot up to his voice, turning to him before smiling. "Rider-kun! I did it!" he said before holding his hands up and there a small pool of water sat in the palms of his hand, a seed submerged in it but what amazed Rider was the flower that sprouted from the water. "You learn quick...but I expected no less of the rejuvenation elements in your water...therefore your element is so important...as it will bring new life with ease..."

"New life...rejuvenation..." Goggles whispered before reaching out, water calming as he grabbed the seed before it could be washed away with the remains and held it close. Glasses stepped to Goggles once he had calmed down and set a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you home to a real bed...then we'll talk everything over…" Goggles looked back to everyone before nodding as he stood and they left the Square.

0

A month later, Goggles waved to the others as they parted ways before he ran off. Far from civilization and into a wooded area did Goggles run before stopping in a grove. Sunlight filtered in through the canopy and onto a single spot of raised ground with a single large bud in the center. Said ground was in bloom in flowers, ivy and small toadstools surrounding the bud, Goggles smiling as he looked to the moat of water that was around it. Stepping over the little moat, he knelt beside the mound before letting his water seep from his body before coming back up, swirling with sentient life before he let it rain over the ground and bud.

"Today should be the day..." Goggles whispered.

After watering everything, Goggles sat patiently in front of the bud, waiting for any sign of movement. After an hour, he was nearly falling asleep when it happened. The bud rocked a little, waking Goggles up completely and he jumped to his feet, eyes glistening a bit with tears as he watched the bud rock a little more before it finally started to bloom. Petals peeled away slowly before the lotus was in full bloom and in the center of it was Rider curled up, fully rejuvenated. "Rider-kun…" he whispered as he walked over the soft petals and knelt beside Rider. It was slow but his eyes fluttered opened, yellow-green hues glancing around before Rider slowly moved to sit up. Turning, he saw Goggles there who grinned happily and flung himself into him, knocking both down.

"...Goggles-kun?"

"Yes, Rider-kun!"

Rider smiled as well before returning the hug. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered. "It's ok...it was bad...and you weren't yourself as you should be...but we can start over...right here...in our personal Vine Tower." Goggles murmured, lifting his head and smiled to Rider before leaning down to kiss him softly. Rider returned the kiss, arms holding the water element close as the lotus began to close, shielding them from the outside world as vines of ivy began to grow and expand, lacing up into a whole new Vine Tower where the two could be alone in a better setting where no one knew where to find them.


End file.
